Leviticus 19:2

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Say to all the people of Israel, You are to be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם

Transliteration

dabbēr ʾel-kol-ʿăḏaṯ bənê-Yiśrāʾēl wə-ʾāmartā ʾălēhem qəḏōšîm tihyû kî qāḏôš ʾănî YHWH ʾĕlōhêḵem

Grammar Details

• *dabbēr*: Piel imperative, masculine singular - speak!
• *ʾel*: preposition - to, toward
• *kol*: construct noun - all of, whole of
• *ʿăḏaṯ*: construct noun, feminine singular - congregation/assembly of
• *bənê*: construct noun, masculine plural - sons/children of
• *Yiśrāʾēl*: proper noun - Israel
• *wə-ʾāmartā*: waw consecutive + Qal perfect, 2nd masculine singular - and you shall say
• *ʾălēhem*: preposition + 3rd masculine plural suffix - to them
• *qəḏōšîm*: adjective, masculine plural - holy ones/holy
• *tihyû*: Qal imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you shall be
• *kî*: conjunction - for, because
• *qāḏôš*: adjective, masculine singular - holy
• *ʾănî*: 1st person singular independent pronoun - I
• *YHWH*: proper noun - the LORD
• *ʾĕlōhêḵem*: noun, masculine plural construct + 2nd masculine plural suffix - your God

Word Meanings

• *dabbēr*: speak/address/tell
• *ʿăḏaṯ*: congregation/assembly/community
• *qəḏōšîm*: holy/set apart/consecrated
• *tihyû*: you shall be/you must be/you are to be
• *kî*: for/because/since
• *qāḏôš*: holy/set apart/consecrated

Referenced Verses

• Lev 11:44-45 : 44 For I am the Lord your God: for this reason, make and keep yourselves holy, for I am holy; you are not to make yourselves unclean with any sort of thing which goes about flat on the earth. 45 For I am the Lord, who took you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; so be you holy, for I am holy.
• Lev 20:7 : 7 So make and keep yourselves holy, for I am the Lord your God.
• Lev 20:26 : 26 And you are to be holy to me; for I the Lord am holy and have made you separate from the nations, so that you may be my people.
• 1 Pet 1:15-16 : 15 But be holy in every detail of your lives, as he, whose servants you are, is holy; 16 Because it has been said in the Writings, You are to be holy, for I am holy.
• Exod 19:6 : 6 And you will be a kingdom of priests to me, and a holy nation. These are the words which you are to say to the children of Israel.
• Matt 5:48 : 48 Be then complete in righteousness, even as your Father in heaven is complete.
• 2 Cor 6:14-16 : 14 Do not keep company with those who have not faith: for what is there in common between righteousness and evil, or between light and dark? 15 And what agreement is there between Christ and the Evil One? or what part has one who has faith with one who has not? 16 And what agreement has the house of God with images? for we are a house of the living God; even as God has said, I will be living among them, and walking with them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.
• 2 Cor 7:1 : 1 Because God, then, will give us such rewards, dear brothers, let us make ourselves clean from all evil of flesh and spirit, and become completely holy in the fear of God.
• Lev 21:8 : 8 And he is to be holy in your eyes, for by him the bread of your God is offered; he is to be holy in your eyes, for I the Lord, who make you holy, am holy.
• Isa 6:3-4 : 3 And one said in a loud voice to another, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of armies: all the earth is full of his glory. 4 And the bases of the door-pillars were shaking at the sound of his cry, and the house was full of smoke.
• Amos 3:3 : 3 Is it possible for two to go walking together, if not by agreement?